Razielim
}} Raziel's clan, also known as the Razielim, comprised one of the six vampire clans which inhabited Kain's empire, and its members were the vampire children and descendants of Raziel. Mentioned only in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, they were ostensibly eradicated by Kain following Raziel's execution. Role Unaware of his own heritage as one of the leading warrior inquisitors of the Sarafan, Raziel personally raised his clan during the Soul Reaver era, over the century following the raising of the lieutenants at the Tomb of the Sarafan. Soul Reaver: Background Story at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter) Alongside the Dumahim, Melchahim, Rahabim, Turelim and Zephonim, it was one of the "six legions of vampires" involved in "the destruction of the major human Kingdoms"; pillaging Nosgoth, they had thoroughly domesticated humans within a hundred years, despite the efforts of the vampire hunters. Raziel's clan dominated a stronghold in territory west of the Lake of the Dead. Over the millennium of Raziel's service, the "lesser vampires" provided "amusement and spice to an increasingly uninspired court"; presumably, his own clan was involved in these power struggles. The Council would help and foil plots between the clans, betting upon the outcome as the factions warred. A thousand years after his resurrection, Raziel convened at the Sanctuary of the Clans with his lieutenant brethren and Kain, where he revealed that he had pupated beyond Kain, transgressing against his master. Purportedly acting on "a jealous whim", Kain ripped the bones from Raziel's new wings, and ordered Turel and Dumah to cast him into the Abyss. Five centuries later, Raziel returned to Nosgoth as a wraith, apparently resurrected by the Elder God. Upon reaching the Lake of the Dead, his first undertaking was a return to his clan territory; he "was anxious to see how his descendants had fared during the centuries of his absence". To his horror, he discovered the city was desolate, "clearly abandoned for centuries". Only roving fledgling Dumahim inhabited the place, but beyond the decorum and tattered flags which still bore his clan symbol, there was no evidence of his children's presence - he was certain that his "once-proud kin" had been "wiped from this world like excrement from a boot". Raziel did not encounter any members of his clan during his exploration of Nosgoth, and when pressed as to their fate, Melchiah suggested that Raziel was "the last... to die". He hinted that the clan had proven "an upstart inheritance", one which Kain "would not risk his empire upon". When Raziel directly confronted Kain on the gravity of this supposed "act of genocide", Kain was indifferent; he simply responded that "what I have made, I can also destroy, child". Traits Like their fellow vampires, Raziel's clan carried the blood curse, blood-thirst, immortality and sterility inflicted on their ancient vampire ancestors by the Hylden, during the vampire-Hylden war, and most likely developed the yellow or amber irises and tridactyl claws and feet characteristic of their race. The Blood Curse (The Dark Gift) at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter) They were created from reanimated human corpses, restored to unlife with the infusion of souls, and "gained their advantage from the powers of the underworld". Warp's answers from Amy at the Eidos Forums (by Blincoln) As a result of Nupraptor's corruption - which was passed on to all of Kain's descendants - Raziel's clan devolved and pupated as the centuries passed, "becoming less human and more... divine". Question and Answer with Jen, Richard, and Kyle at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln) Raziel inherited the strongest portion of Kain's soul, and his descendants were likely the most powerful vampires in Nosgoth, apart from the members of the Council. A few questions at DCabDesign (by Paradoks), post#6 by (Daniel Cabuco). If they survived beyond Raziel's execution, adults of the clan would have emulated the physical developments that their patriarch had begun to exhibit, growing chiropteran wings which would have enabled flight. GLoK Interviews with Amy Hennig at Nosgothic Realm (by Raziel Fan) The Razielim at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter) In Kain's empire prior to their devolution, the Razielim were noted to have taken roles described as: "Artisans, Philosophers, Spellbinders, Tacticians..., Blood Bankers, and manipulators." and it was further elaborated that the "Razielim would use their spellcraft to spy on other clans, and manipulate them with a wry hand". Vampire Clans at DCabDesign (by Majinkura), post#2 by (Daniel Cabuco). About Kain's Empire at DCabDesign (by Cradlis), post#2 by (Daniel Cabuco). Background Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver originated as Shifter, an independent project by Amy Hennig, Seth Carus and Arnold Ayala of Crystal Dynamics which never entered production in its original form. Shifter at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln) As was the case with the game's other vampiric elements, Raziel's clan was presumably conceived after Shifter was merged into Nosgoth and the Legacy of Kain IP, which incorporated "a lot of research into vampire mythology". Denis Dyack on Story and Content in Games, Part 2 at 1UP.com (by Philip Kollar) Following their introduction as a story element, Raziel's clan goes entirely unseen and unmentioned in Soul Reaver 2, the Legacy of Kain: Defiance comic and Legacy of Kain: Defiance; thus, they still have yet to make an appearance in the Legacy of Kain series. There is no official artwork which is confirmed as representative of Raziel's children, but one image discovered on Arnold Ayala's blog in 2010 depicts an unused devolved vampire concept for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, with distinctive bat-like wings and traits which closely correspond to Raziel's devolutionary path. character concept art << Dogma5150's Blog at Wordpress.com (by Arnold Ayala) Soul Reaver- Art of Female, Wolf and Winged Vampires (Razielim?), Hunters and Demons at the Eidos Forums (by Divine Shadow) In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Raziel is led to conclude that his clan has been destroyed by Kain, an assumption which Kain does not explicitly confirm or deny. With subsequent games, Kain's villainous Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver portrayal has been unveiled as a ruse, part of a complex plan to eventually restore the Pillars of Nosgoth and return them to vampire guardianship; his "one last hand to play against Fate". All along, Kain had been counting on Raziel's "reckless indignation", hoping to deliberately goad Raziel into pursuing him into Nosgoth's past. Thus, the question as to whether Kain truly eradicated Raziel's descendants or not remains open to debate. When queried on the subject in 2002, then-series director Amy Hennig cryptically replied that "this is currently unrevealed". Former lead artist Daniel Cabuco, would subsequently offer more on the role of the Razielim: "When I worked on Soul Reaver, I believed them all killed (with perhaps a survivor or two). If you look at the scheme, Raziel's clan was the most powerful and favored. The sudden loss of their leader, and favor with Kain meant that they were targets for destruction: The other clans would have gleefully torn them apart. Based on the original SR storyline, Kain couldn't risk any of them developing wings and showing that Kain's gifts were mutating and growing beyond the Master. Kain was always first with the gifts.. that's how he maintained power. By the time Defiance was made, I was wistfully thinking that perhaps a few of them survived, hiding throughout the realm. It's a sad thing though, because they would still be tainted and doomed to devolution. By the time Raziel saw them again, he probably wouldn't recognize them. Even if they did survive, I imagine Kain would have to put them down, perhaps activating the silenced cathedral so he could start over.. IF he went back to the original SR1 timeline." A few questions at DCabDesign (by Paradoks), post#6 by (Daniel Cabuco). Notes *Though never formally given any name beyond "Raziel's clan" in any official sources, it is very likely - following the other vampire clans' official naming conventions - that these vampires were known as the Razielim (or possibly the Razelim, if dropping an "i" as in the unique example set by the Melchahim clan). The fan community universally utilizes this moniker to refer to Raziel's descendants, and they are named as such at Dark Chronicle, Nosgothic Realm and The Lost Worlds, Legacy of Kain Fan-Fictions at Nosgothic Realm Dragon Statue Reaver Forge at The Lost Worlds Young Kain at The Lost Worlds with the moniker even utilized by Daniel Cabuco on his forum. About Kain's Empire at DCabDesign (by Cradlis), post#2 by (Daniel Cabuco). Appearances * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (mentioned only) See also * Raziel * Raziel's clan territory * The Razielim at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). References }} Category:Inhabitants Category:Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Category:Soul Reaver era vampire clans Category:Sub-factions